Definition
In aeronautical decision-making, skills and procedures are the physical flying actions and standardized steps a pilot performs to operate an aircraft, such as stick-and-rudder control, instrument scan, checklist use, and standard callouts. They are one of the foundational elements pilots rely on, alongside judgment and risk management, to fly safely.
Plain English
The hands-on flying abilities and the step-by-step methods a pilot uses in the cockpit. Skills are what the pilot can physically do; procedures are the set ways of doing things.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation instructor material when discussing what a pilot must be able to do, not just what a pilot must know, to make safe decisions.
Derivation
Skill comes from Old Norse skil, meaning 'discernment or ability.' Procedure comes from Latin procedere, 'to go forward.' Together they describe what a pilot can do (skill) and the orderly way they do it (procedure).
Why Pilots Care
They form the reliable foundation that frees mental capacity for judgment and risk evaluation during flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read Skills and Procedures as general talent or paperwork. In this context, it means practical flying ability plus the established steps used to complete a task safely.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor reminded the student that solid skills and procedures are the base of safe flying, but ADM is what keeps the flight out of trouble before the skills are ever needed.
Example Sentence 2
Before the checkride the student reviewed skills and procedures for each phase of the flight to support better decisions.